African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) are popular houseplants, known for their beautiful flowers ranging from blue to violet, lavender, pink, red-violet, and white. While they have a reputation for being a little finicky, they’re actually quite hardy! To ensure your African violet thrives, understanding the right soil composition is crucial.
Why Soil Composition Matters
The soil in which your plant grows contains its entire universe: nutrients, moisture, and space for its roots to anchor and grow. Providing the right African violet potting soil sets you up for success from day one. Conventional potting mix is too dense for the sensitive African violet. These jungle plants evolved in mossy outcrops with very little soil.
Key Ingredients for African Violet Potting Soil
While you’ll find dozens of African violet soil recipes online, nearly all contain three key ingredients:
- Perlite
- Vermiculite
- Peat moss
1. Perlite
Perlite is a hyper-lightweight material derived from volcanically heated glass. Heating glass in this manner creates a popcorn-like material that retains moisture without impeding drainage. This keeps your plant hydrated without waterlogging it underground.
2. Vermiculite
Vermiculite is a flaky mineral often sold in pellet form. It is nontoxic and doesn’t rot or mold, preventing irritating pests from finding safe harbor in your plant’s container. Vermiculite also helps keep potting mix sterile, which keeps your African violet’s blooms fresher longer.
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3. Peat Moss
Peat moss is harvested from decaying plant matter in mossy peat bogs. It helps boost acidity in the soil and maintains soil structure over time. Like perlite and vermiculite, it can hold several times its weight in moisture, slowly releasing it to the plant.
Peat moss is one of the most common ingredients in potting soil of all types. Unfortunately, it’s not the greatest for the planet. Peat is slow-growing, and harvesting peat moss depletes centuries-old bogs much faster than they can be replenished.
Beginners Guide - How to Mix and Make AFRICAN VIOLET SOIL for Healthy Plants & Flowers -
Alternatives to Peat Moss
Consider these alternatives to peat moss for a more sustainable approach:
- Coconut coir: Widely considered the best peat moss alternative, coco coir is made from dried-out fibers harvested from coconut husks.
- Wood fiber: Bark chips and wood shavings provide the same air and water flow benefits as peat moss, with less detriment to the environment.
Acidity (pH) Level
Another factor that sets African violet soil apart is the level of acidity you’ll need to provide. Conventional potting soil is usually quite close to neutral (7.0) acidity, or pH. African violets prefer slightly acidic conditions, between 5.8 to 6.5 pH. Generally, peat moss is used to lower the pH in African violet potting soil. Coco coir has also shown to provide sufficient pH when used with traditional fertilizer.
DIY African Violet Potting Mix
Most garden centers sell specialty African violet potting mix, but some gardeners prefer to mix their own. Here are some additional ingredients you might consider:
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- Limestone: To help balance acidity (only add if using peat moss) and prevent toxicities in the soil.
- Superphosphate: Encourages strong root growth, great for newly propagated African violets.
Pasteurizing Your DIY Mix
Making DIY African violet potting soil isn’t as simple as mixing the ingredients above in a pot. First, you’ll need to pasteurize them to eliminate any bacteria, plant diseases, insects, or weed seeds hiding in your ingredients.
Heat your oven to 180º Fahrenheit (82º Celcius). Moisten your soil mixture and spread evenly over a large roasting tray or lipped cookie sheet.
Ready-to-Use Potting Mixes
Even if you’re not interested in making your own mix, you can still enjoy your African violet’s year-round blooms! African violets are one of the most popular houseplants in the world, so many retailers sell mix made specially to provide their preferred conditions.
For example, Midwest Hearth African Violet Potting Soil is a ready-to-use potting soil mix. It has been specially formulated with a soil mix combination of organic peat moss, perlite and vermiculite. This formula provides excellent rooting and growth of your African Violets. African Violet roots are generally thing and soft and require a loose well-drained, highly organic media. This media should be kept moist but not soaked at all times.
Another option is Miracle-Gro® African Violet Potting Mix, blended for the specific needs of your African Violets. The mix feeds these plants for up to 6 months.
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How to Use Miracle-Gro® African Violet Potting Mix
- Select a pot with a drain hole.
- Fill pot about 1/3 full.
- Loosen root ball, place plant in pot.
- Add more mix and press lightly.
- Water; let drain.
For spectacular results, supplement the nutrients of this mix by using Miracle-Gro® Liquid African Violet Food.
Repotting African Violets
Once you’ve mastered African violet potting mix, you may want to repot your current plants to introduce fresh, nutrient-rich soil. Always try to repot your plant while it’s healthy and when the soil has had time to dry up a bit. And stay mindful of the delicate root system.
In the right potting mix, African violets will grow quickly and vigorously. In fact, you may even want to divide up a large individual to propagate more! African violets often grow sucker offshoots with their own root systems, which are easy to separate from the mother plants and rehome.
Maintaining Healthy African Violets
Here are some additional tips for maintaining healthy African Violets:
- Light: Intensities of 1,000 foot-candles of light for 6 to 8 hours per day give good results. South or west windows offer the best light in winter. Insufficient light is probably the most common reason for failure of African violets to flower.
- Temperature: The most attractive violets are grown at a nighttime temperature of 65° to 70°F and a daytime temperature of 70° to 90°F. Plants grown at temperatures below 60°F will be deformed.
- Humidity: The most successful plants are grown in a higher humidity. Where a few plants are concerned, humidity may be increased by setting the pots in watertight metal or plastic trays filled with water and gravel or pebbles.
- Watering: Apply water until it drains out the bottom of the pot. Cold water (55°F or below) splashed on the leaves causes light green, discolored areas called ring spot. Many violet growers prefer to water from the bottom rather than the top of the pot.
- Fertilizer: Most violet hobbyists prefer to use liquid or water-soluble fertilizers such as 20-20-20 every four to six weeks. African violets are very sensitive to a build-up of soluble salt which can damage plant roots.
Common Issues and Solutions
Here is a table summarizing common issues and solutions for African Violets:
| Issue | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Insects (Plant Lice) | Small green or black insects that feed on growing tips. | Use appropriate insecticide. |
| Extremely Small Insects | Insects feed on growing tip of plants. Corky layers develop over injury causing puckering, twisting and distortion of leaves in center of plant. | Use appropriate insecticide. |
| Mites | Injure by puncturing and sucking sap. In large numbers, develop a web over leaves, flowers, etc. | Use appropriate miticide. |
| Mealybugs | White cottony mass of eggs and insects in crown of plant. | Isolate plant and treat with insecticidal soap. |
| Botrytis Blight | A disease infecting flowers, leaves, petioles. Causes decay, flowers develop water-soaked appearance. | Improve air movement, reduce humidity. |
| Stem Rot | Attacks stems, leaves and petioles in contact with soil. May cause complete wilting of plant if entire stem is attacked. | Use sterilized well-drained soil. Use clean plants. Discard badly diseased plants. |
With the right potting mix and proper care, your African violets will thrive and provide you with beautiful blooms year-round!
